NEWS

Toxic air increasing cancer risk

Source: The Hindu, Date: February , 2015

Toxic air
pollutants even a trace amount heighten the risk of childhood cancer, according
to cancer specialists, who say that the overall incidence of childhood cancer
in India is reported to be over a lakh of new cases per year.“About 1.6 to 4.8
per cent of all cancers in India is seen in children below 15 years. Cancers in
children are believed to result from an interaction between genetic and
environmental factors. Though the precise causes leading to development of
cancers in children are unknown, one of the leading factors is the external
environment that is exposure to chemicals like benzene, toluene, pesticides and
solvents, and also exposure to ionising radiation,’’ said Anupam Sachdeva,
director, Paediatric Hematology Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation
Institute For Child Health, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.